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For 39 days, 16 castaways were stranded in Asia.  Every 3 days on the island became a 1-hour show.  The first contestant eliminated pockets $25,000.  Each successive eliminated contestant wins more money, through the next-to-last Survivor, who receives $100,000.  The final Survivor wins a million dollars!

Images (C) 2004 CBS, Inc. and Mark Burnett Productions. This page is in no way associated with CBS, Mark Burnett Productions, or the Survivor production.

'Don't think too hard - simple is always better.'

That is what Richard Hatch is saying as we are being provided bundles of bamboo and we are being told to build a raft from it. While trying to figure out how to set it up, we realize that we could just bunch the pieces together, and voila! instant raft. We take 3 bundles, tie them up, and make sure that Mr Hatch would be able to sit on it and not capsize the raft. That being accomplished, we have created the quickest - and laziest - raft in all of creation.

Will it be good enough for the Reward Challenge? We shall see, as the objective of it is to take said raft and paddle it in the ocean, pick up team members, then turn right around and carry it back across he finish line. The first team to do that wins the challenge and wins fishing hooks and poles. The first two tribes get another clue to the locked box.

Heres a nasty rub - the last placed tribe gets to be 'absorbed' - meaning split up and divided into the two remaining tribes. That would not be good to our existence - and when the race starts, we paddle like we don't want to be absorbed by anyone. The team with the laziest raft is also the team with the most effective raft - we come in first easily.

The celebration is very short-lived, as we are already figuring out who to pick. Colby wants to go after Ethan first - so we can get rid of him at Tribal Council. Rich, who is glad that it isn't him, agrees immediately and selects him. We also select Jerri, which sends Rupert and Jenna over to Chapera.

Colby thought that Ethan and Jerri were people who didn't bond with each other - and we know how right he is. Ethan and Jerri are thrilled with getting a second chance to move with is - but the question is for how long?

As long as they are useful, apparently. Jerri tries to make herself useful by finding the final key to the locked box and getting rice. Ethan tries to make himself useful by getting some fish - which he does. All of this makes Richard feel vulnerable - as the new people are taking over the things that he used to do. To rectify this, he goes out and gets 5 times more fish than Ethan did. That makes him feel a little more secure about his tribe...

...but what would make him feel a lot more secure would be to win immunity for the tribe.

Two new tribes, now we'll see -
Who's speed and strength gets immunity
It's really quite simple - capture the flag, that's it
Winners end up with the idol. losers end up in the pit

This is the 'Capture the Flag along the lines' challenge from Survivor 5 - the one where Robb grabbed Clay by the throat. To reiterate - the teams have to go from one side to the other, grabbing flags and bringing them back. When 2 Survivors from opposing teams meet in the middle, we'll have a 'Showdown' where you try to knock your opponent off of the platform and into the water. Whoever gets 21 flags first wins immunity.

The first challenge is Rob M Vs. Ethan. Rob takes Ethan and slams him on the side of the water-filled pit. Ouch. Jenna and Richard meet up - and Richard wins. To reward himself, Richard drops his trousers, which, of course disgusts everyone. He also gets to run into Susan - but it's on the same platform, where they talk a little trash. Uncle Jeff calls those two off, and the game continues.

Chapera realizes that Boston Rob has been a powerhouse, as he has been knocking off people left and right. He adds Colby and Lex to his collection of pit people, so Chapera decides to jump off the platform and let Rob run the whole course by himself. That strategy works to perfection as he knocks off Kathy to get the final flag. We have to go vote someone out for the first time.

Colby, who thinks that Richard Hatch is not needed anymore, decide that it's time to get rid of the big naked man. He talks to Lex and Ethan, and they are happy. They talk to Jerri - and she tells him that she is happy - but then she talks to Kathy and Shii Ann, and they aren't thrilled that the men want to take control of the tribe. The women bring over Rich - and tell him that they are concerned about it and they want to take down Colby. He is thrilled about the idea - since it's not him that's going home - if the plan works out.

But will it? It's time to go to Tribal Council. Ethan was glad to have a change of pace, Colby says that this is a completely different experience and Kathy says that the friendships are over - and it's all about unadulterated playing the game. In terms of strategy, Rich knows that he has a target on his back and Colby agrees with it. Kathy also knows how to vote - and she's not thrilled about it.

It's time to vote - and Richard votes for Colby. Colby trusts his gut - which in this game is a huge mistake - and votes for Richard - as does everybody else. The big old naked man who orchestrated Survivor is gone by a 6-1 count. When he realizes that he is gone, he says, 'I've been bamboozled!' and he disco-shimmies his way out of Tribal Council.

Of course the tribe made the wrong move - but they knew better than to keep Hatch in the game and I agree with that, Still, it would have been fun to see what would have happened if you kept around the man who is the best Survivor player ever - but the norm seems to be to get rid of the mean, scary good players, which will keep the non-winning, inept sheep in the game - which is too bad. I would love to see a Survivor played with ALL winners - which will be Survivor 18, hopefully. Until then, let the good player inquisition continue...